BOSTON — David Price pitched seven stellar innings with seven strikeouts, Xander Bogaerts hit a three-run homer and drove in every run, and the Boston Red Sox beat the Baltimore Orioles 4-0 on Sunday.
The teams wrap up their four-game series with Boston’s traditional Patriots’ Day morning game Monday, with first pitch set for 11:05 a.m. The Red Sox are scheduled to play on the holiday for the 60th consecutive year.
Boston Red Sox’s Xander Bogaerts, center, celebrates his three-run home run that also drove in Mookie Betts, left, and J.D. Martinez, right, during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles in Boston, Sunday, April 14, 2019. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)
Boston’s big starting foursome of Price, Chris Sale, Rick Porcello and Nathan Eovaldi entered Sunday 0-7 with an 8.43 ERA in 11 starts.
Price (1-1) responded with clearly their best outing, mixing his mid-90s fastball with a sharp changeup and cutter to allow just three hits without issuing a walk.
Baltimore’s Chris Davis went 0 for 4 with two strikeouts a day after ending his record 0-for-54 stretch.
Ryan Brasier escaped a jam in the eighth, and Matt Barnes worked the ninth, closing out the combined five-hitter.
Bogaerts hit his shot off reliever Josh Lucas into the center field seats in the eighth.
John Means (1-2) gave up a run and four hits in five innings, striking out three and walking one in just his second big league start. He made his first career appearance in Fenway Park last Sept. 26, allowing five runs over 3 1/3 innings.
The 25-year-old lefty wiggled out of what could have been a tough fourth when he gave up the run.
Steve Pearce had a leadoff single and advanced to third on J.D. Martinez’s double. Pearce scored on Bogaerts’ fly before Martinez was cut down at the plate on Dustin Pedroia’s grounder. Rafael Devers bounced out to end the inning.
Baltimore pitching coach Doug Brocail, in the third base dugout, was ejected by first base umpire Stu Scheurwater. It was Brocail’s ninth career ejection, six coming as a player.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Orioles: Manager Brandon Hyde said OF Dwight Smith Jr.’s right leg was “a little sore.” Smith was scratched about an hour before the game, prompting the shifting of four spots in the batting order. He flew out to center pinch-hitting with two on, ending the eighth.
Red Sox: LF Andrew Benintendi left with a bruised right foot after fouling a pitch off it. He originally had the day off but was in the lineup when CF Jackie Bradley Jr. was scratched with the flu. … Manager Alex Cora inserted Pedroia in the DH slot to avoid playing him consecutive days at second base. Pedroia played just three games last season because of a knee injury.
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